Author Interview - Brenda Corey Dunne, author of Dependent - and Giveaway

I'm so happy to have my writer friend Brenda Corey Dunne stop by today on her Blog Tour for the release of her new novel, Dependent.

When 45-year-old Ellen Michaels loses her husband to a tragic military
accident, she is left in a world of gray. For 25 years her life has been
dictated by the ubiquitous “They”—the military establishment that has
included her like chattel with John’s worldly goods—his dependents,
furniture, and effects. They—who have stolen her hopes, her dreams
and her innocence, and now in mere months will take away the roof
over her head. Ellen is left with nothing to hold on to but memories and
guilt, and an awful secret that has held her in its grip since she was 19.
John’s untimely death takes away her anchor, and now, without the
military, there is no one to tell her where to go, what to do—no one to
dictate who she is. Dependent deals with issues ever-present in today’s
service families—early marriage, frequent long absences, the culture of
rank, and post-traumatic stress, as well as harassment and abuse of
power by higher-ranking officials. It presents a raw and realistic view of
life for the lives of the invisible support behind the uniform!

Inspiration and Stumbling Blocks for DEPENDENT

By Brenda Corey Dunne

About ten years ago, I was an unemployed, stay-at-home mom and military spouse. I was happy, my kids were bright, my husband had a great job, and we were building a custom home in a lovely community just off of the base. 

I’m not sure what it was that made me step back and think about it, maybe it was a speech I did for our local health authority, maybe it was something I heard on the news, or maybe it was just a bad dream, but somehow around that time I realized that I had let everything that made me unique slide. I was no longer a physiotherapist, I no longer wore an Air Force uniform, my kids were growing and soon would be off to their own adventures, and where would that leave me?

At home supporting my husband and his career.

Don’t get me wrong, I am incredibly supportive of my husband’s Air Force career. I’m so proud of everything he does and would do anything to help him toward success. The same goes for my kids. But that day ten years ago I realized that the girl who graduated at the top of her high school class—that girl who had dreams and goals and so much potential—had somehow hidden herself behind the other things.  Behind the uniform. And happy as I was to be there at the time, I knew that it was a temporary emotion. Sooner or later my kids would move on. What if something happened to my husband?

It terrified me. It’s not something military spouses—or any spouse for that matter—want to think about. And that fear inspired me, for some crazy reason, to write down forty pages of a similar story, with no expectations of what it would become. It was like an exercise, a catharsis for me. Realizing that I needed to work to not only support the ones I love, but I needed to support myself.

The story I wrote was difficult, sad, disturbing. And I put it down many, many times because I simply couldn’t allow myself to go there, especially when I saw other friends and neighbours going through similar experiences after I had written them down. There were times when I’d sit and re-read the manuscript and burst into tears. But I kept picking away at it until 2012, when I forced myself—at the encouragement of a writing and military friend and with the help of NaNoWriMo—to finish writing it.

And now the little story that started out as a way to work through my own,  deeply personal fear will be my first traditionally published book. I hope other women read it and it inspires them to take their own steps toward supporting their own dreams.

Brenda

Dependent releases on July 29th. Find it here:

Amazon

B&N

Goodreads

BRENDA COREY DUNNE, trained as a physiotherapist, worked several

years as a Physiotherapy Officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force before
meeting the love of her life, RCAF Colonel Tom Dunne, and becoming a
military dependent herself. Brenda currently resides on a small hobby
farm in Eastern Ontario, Canada, with her husband and three children.

Connect with Brenda online:

Facebook

Twitter
Blog

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Liebster Award - 11 Fun Facts About Me and The Next Nominees

I'm so excited to have been nominated for the Liebster Blog Awards by my awesome writing partner and friend, Tina Moss. What is it, you ask? Well, I have to tell you 11 fun facts about myself, answer 11 questions and then tag 11 wonderful writers to do the same. What a great way to get to know the writing community and connect with other writers!

So here goes.

11 Fun Facts About Me:

1. I was born in Kiev, Ukraine and came to America when I was 13. Even though I'm fluent in Russian (speaking and reading), I now think entirely in English and sometimes have a hard time finding the correct Russian words when I use them more in English.
2. I'm a 2nd Degree Black Belt (2nd Dan) and hoping to go for my 3rd Degree soon. The style of Martial Arts that I practice is called Shotokan Karate and it is a traditional Japanese karate. I've always been fascinated with all things Martial Arts, since I was a child.

Training with my niece, who's a brown belt     

At the Dojo

3. I got my Masters in Publishing but I've never worked in publishing.
4. My hubby and I recently bought our very first house. We still haven't moved in but hoping to in the next couple of weeks and I'm very excited.
5. My baby is a 14-year old Siamese cat, who is the last of the three cats we had. This is the first time in his life that he's by himself and the first time he's an alpha cat. He's enjoying all the attention being lavished on him.

Bones. Look at that beautiful face...

6. When I was little (around 10-12 years old) I was writing a half autobiographical story and I would have family readings of my progress.
7. I met one of my dearest friends and now my writing partner, Tina Moss, at the Dojo. We took all the tests together all the way to black belt.

Dangerous chicks. Tina Moss and I.

8. I also met my hubby at the Dojo (that he's the owner of).
9. I'm a Gemini and my interests are very varied and come and go in waves (although, most interests are ones that I maintained throughout my life).
10. I want to travel all over the world. So far, I've been to Italy, France, Mexico, Greece and Poland.

With hubby in front of the Trevi Fountain in Rome

My dream of visiting Louvre in Paris came true last summer!

11. I try to always see the best in people.

Eleven questions:
1. Who is the author you admire most? Too many to list. Michael Bulgakov, Ray Bradbury, Ilona Andrews and many others.
2. Why do you write (in five words or less)? Because it makes me happy.
3. What is your favorite genre to read? I'll give you two - Urban Fantasy and Historical Fiction
4. Who is your biggest inspiration? Again, I'll mention two. My hubby, Thomas Casale and my writing partner, Tina Moss. They both achieved so much in their lives, despite of numerous roadblocks and challenges. And they both taught me to never give up.
5. What advice would you give to new writers? Don't ever give up on your dreams.
6. What is your favorite hobby? Reading.
7. Are you a cat or dog person? This one is tough. I'm both. Used to be a very dog person until I met my husband who had 3 cats at the time. They all became my babies. We only have one now.
8. Where is your ideal vacation spot? A tropical beach anywhere.
9. What is a place you want to visit, but haven't yet? This one is no brainer - definitely Japan!
10.What is the meaning of life in one word (or number) *wink* I'll answer this one with a picture:

11. If you're on a deserted island, what are three things you must have? 1) My Nook (with an abundant source of battery power that never runs out 2) Pad and pen or pencil to write and sketch the island 3) A big knife, a versatile tool as well as a weapon to defend myself.

 New Nominees for the Liebster Award:

Brenda Corey Dunne
Vicki Lemp Weavil
Hope Adon
AL Jackson
Carrie Butler
Lilly VanHorn
Allison Duke
Tee Tate
F.J.R. Titchenenell
Ebony McKenna
Tierney Fowler


You new questions:
1. When did you start writing?
2. Who is the one author you'd like to sit down with and talk if you could?
3. Who is your favorite fictional character?
4. Beach house, country house or city appartment?
5. What is your favorite time of year?
6. What is your favorite sport or fitness activity?
7. What is one bad habit you have?
8. Tea or coffee?
9. What is your favorite TV show?
10. If you could only own one book, what would it be?
11. What is your favorite fruit?

The Liebster Rules:
1. The Liebster Award is given to bloggers by bloggers.
2. Each blogger should post 11 facts about himself / herself.
3. Each blogger should answer the 11 questions that are asked by the nominating blogger.
4. Choose 11 new bloggers to nominate for the Award and link to them in the post.
5. Create 11 new questions for your nominees.
6. Go back to their pages and tell them they’ve been nominated.
7. No tag backs.

If you were already tagged or don't have time to do this, please feel free to skip this :) If you want to play, please follow the rules listed above and have fun!

Guest Post - When Opportunity Doesn't Knock on Your Door, Open it Up

I'm most inspired by reading about other writers' experiences and the hope that the writer community always seems to carry in its midst.

Today, I'm happy to have Deanna Proach as the guest blogger. Her article below has been inspired by her own experiences and I find her advice to be an important one for any writer.

Deanna Proach has authored two novels: To be Maria (PULSEpub) and Day of Revenge (Inkwater Press). She's also an avid blogger herself. You can learn more about Deanna on her blog, http://deannaswriting.wordpress.com.

When Opportunity Doesn't Knock on Your Door, Open it Up

by Deanna Proach

Recently, while I was on Facebook, I saw a post on a friend's wall that said something like this: ‘When opportunity doesn't knock at your door, open it up.’ I can't remember the exact words of this quote, but the message deeply resonated with me, and it was incredibly inspiring.

When you're starting out as a writer--like myself--it's tough. Trying to get attention is like screaming into the wilderness: no one hears you. When it comes to writing, no one sees you. However just because no one see you, that doesn't mean no one cares about your book. Your lack of visibility is most likely because no one outside your circle of family and friends knows about your book.

That can change, but it's up to you to make that change. You cannot expect readers to find your book because they won't, and your book won't sell itself. You must make the effort to find your target audience. Writing for high profile magazines and blogs, and appearing on popular talk or radio shows is the number one way to get the word out about your book to millions of people. Fast. But if you don't have the right connections, experience or publicity, these opportunities may seem out of reach. Yet, it doesn't have to be. There is one way you can open up the door to opportunity for greater publicity: Blogging.

Establish a personal blog or website. It's the best way to create an online presence. When it comes to blogs--even personal blogs--content is king, and so are basic SEO skills. The best way to attract readers to your blog is to write content that people want to read. The types of articles that attract people the most are those that inspire, inform, educate and entertain. Make every blog article title descriptive and gripping, and write well. People respond much better to those who write well than those who don't.

If you're an author who loves to read and has a passion for books, start a book blog. There are numerous authors who need reviews and other forms of promotion, so you don't have to look far to find them. You can even become a host for blog tour companies. Most, if not all, blog tour companies have an ample following, so it would be an excellent opportunity for you to build a readership, get the word out about your own book while offering services to other emerging authors.

On the other hand, you might be the kind of author who has multiple interests. If that is the case, create a new blog that is based entirely on one of your many passions. For example, if you're an author of young adult fiction, but have a passion for photography, start a new blog that's centered on photography. This would give you an excellent opportunity to showcase your talent, as well as provide tips and advice to new and aspiring photographers. You can even write fiction pieces based on images.

Well written, engaging content and strong SEO skills are key to building a following, but to maximize your potential, you must promote, promote, promote. Submit your blog's feed to every social networking site you belong to, comment on other blogs and make the effort to connect with other writers.

This is laborious, time consuming work, but it will be well worth it in the end. In time, you will reach your goal and opportunities for massive publicity will come your way. So don't wait for opportunity to knock at your door. Open the door to opportunity.

Deanna, thank you for guest blogging with this great article today!

All Kinds of Awesome Awards - Want to Know More?...

I've been so lucky to receive a couple of awards in the past few weeks! As I have been very busy recently, I haven't had a chance to post about them so I think today is the day I do it and also to tell you a bit more about myself through the questions that I have to answer.

Sunshine Award

 First, a big thank you to the wonderful Lady Gwen and A.J. Locke for giving me the Sunshine Award - it brought a little more sunshine into my day! Here are the rules of this awards:

• Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them.
• Write a post about it.
• Answer the questions below.
• Pass it on to 10 bloggers who you think really deserve it and let them know.

Here are the questions:

Favorite color: Purple and Burgundy

Favorite animal: I'm a huge animal lover so it's a hard question for me, so I'll give you 3 of my favorites - cats (small and big), dogs and wolves.

Favorite number: 7 and anything that includes it.

Favorite non-alcoholic drink: Hmmm...I would have to say tea.

Facebook or Twitter: Both, but with the writing community, more Twitter.

My passion: Reading, writing and martial arts.

Getting or giving presents: I love giving presents and seeing the joy on people's faces. Though I always worry the gift might not be good enough.

Favorite pattern: Can't say I have one.

Favorite day of the week: Friday because I have the whole weekend ahead. And Saturday, because I still have a weekend day ahead :D

Favorite flower: Lilac - I love the color and the aroma of it. But I also like tulips and daffodils in the spring because they remind me of sunshine and make me happy.

 
Awhile back, I also received the Kreativ Blogger Award from Kevin Hiatt. Thank you, Kevin! A couple of week ago, I also received this award from A.J. Locke, so a big thanks to her as well!

For this award, I have to give you 7 facts about myself. I've done this once before and you can find those facts here. So here's 7 more:

1. I just got my 2nd degree black belt (Nidan) in Shotokan Karate.

2. I can't sleep with TV on - a point of constant contention with the hubby, who needs TV on to sleep!

3. My Masters degree is in Publishing but I've never worked within the publishing industry.

4. I'm a chicken when it comes to horror movies and I hate torture flicks. But if a horror movie has a premise that's interesting to me, I might watch it and then freak myself out for many nights afterwards.

5.One of my favorite bands from the time I was 12 and to this day is Depeche Mode.

6. I love to dance but wonder if I have any rhythm. Watching professional dancers, especially salsa and ballroom is very enjoyable to me.

7. TV shows that I currently watch and love include The Vampire Diaries, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, True Blood and Supernatural. My favorite shows of all times include La Femme Nikita (the original USA show, not that crap they have on CW11 now!) and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

And now I'd like to pass both awards to the following people (if you have already being tagged with these awards, sorry and please feel free to just accept them and ignore the questions and pass-alongs).


Hildred of the Musings of a Procrastinating Author
Lori M. Lee
Susan Kaye Quinn
Carrie Butler at So, You're A Writer
SA Larsen
Cassie S. at The Anfractuous Bookaholic
Ashley Nixon at Writerly Stuff...and pirates

Congratulations and Have Fun! :)

(I still have to do the Lucky 7 meme, for which I was tagged by the fabulous Elise Fallson. Will get to that by next week!)

Favorite Writing Craft Websites

I find myself searching through various writing websites almost every day. There are many wonderful helpful sites out there and browsing through them has a dual purpose for me

1)      it’s another way to learn more about the craft of writing and to keep up to date on what’s happening in the writing world ; and

2)       it provides constant inspiration

I’d like to share just a few of my favorite writing craft websites here.

Writer’s Digest – lots of articles on the craft for and by writers. Many articles are free, subscribing gives access to even more content. Also, when you subscribe to their free weekly email newsletter, you will receive a list of “101 Best Websites for Writers” as a gift

Writing.com – lots of articles, various writing contests, writing tools and much more. Free to join

Absolutewrite.com – how-to articles, advice for writers at any stage of their career, and great forums on everything from writing tips, querying and publishing discussions and just pure venting sessions

Pitch University – the leader in helping authors learn how to pitch and to overcome their pitching fears, free classes, forums and great case studies!

I also love to check out author websites. Besides finding out fun facts about the writers and getting full lists of their books, there are often articles by these authors with advice on the writing craft.

And of course, I cannot forget to mention another great resource – blogs. As a matter of fact, blogs are probably the most inspirational and useful resource of all. The content is always fresh and often presented in a fun form that is easy and interesting to follow.

Watch for a post next week listing my favorite writer/writing blogs.

What are your favorite writing websites to visit? Which ones do you find most useful?  Please share.

           

Presenting Stylish Blogger Award (plus 7 random facts about myself)

Even though I haven’t had a lot of time lately to post to the blog as often as I want to, I love coming up with new fun topics for it. This post, however, was a no brainer, because my blog got nominated by a very cool person – my awesome writing partner Tina Moss – for my first blog award and I’m extremely excited about it. Please check out her own stylish blog: http://www.tinamoss.blogspot.com/

 And now, with much pleasure, I’m passing on this award to other wonderful bloggers, with the following rules:

1. Thank and link to the person(s) who nominated you;


2. Share seven random facts about yourself;


3. Pass the award along to five blogging buddies;


4. Contact those buddies to congratulate them.

And the award goes to these awesome and stylish bloggers (I’m breaking the rules and nominating 6):

1. TS Tate http://tstate.blogspot.com/


2. Lela Gwen http://www.fullfrontalfantasy.com/


3. Karen Strong http://www.karen-strong.com/


4. Roberta Walker http://frobertawalker.blogspot.com/


5. Dearhart aka Eri http://www.dearharts.com/#v


6. LM Preston http://lmpreston.blogspot.com/

And now for the 7 Random facts about me:

1)      I’m a black belt in Shotokan Karate, a traditional Japanese Karate and I’m an internationally licensed instructor. I teach women’s and other classes in the Japan Shotokan Karate Association. My husband is a 6^th degree black belt.

2)      I was born in Kiev, Ukraine and came to America when I was 13 years old. I haven’t been back since, but hoping to visit in the next couple of years.



3)      I learned to dive before I could swim. My dad taught me both.

4)      I use to paint with watercolors all my childhood and into my teens. I was best at painting still-life and nature but always wanted to learn to draw people. It is still one of my goals when I get some free time (hmmm…when will that be?)

5)    

[caption id="attachment_93" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Kirk"][/caption]

  My husband and I had three cats named after the original Star Trek characters – Captain James T. Kirk, Mr. Spock and Bones. Kirk and Spock passed away within the last year and so now Bones is learning to be the alpha cat. Kirk was always the alpha cat and was like a son to my husband especially. I was always a dog person but these three cats became my “children” and I cannot imagine my life without them now.

[caption id="attachment_94" align="alignleft" width="144" caption="Bones"][/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6)      One of my absolutely all-time favorite books is “Master and Margarita” by a Russian writer Michael Bulgakov. The book has been translated in many languages and I strongly recommend it to everyone. Here’s the link to it on amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Master-Margarita-Mikhail-Bulgakov/dp/0679760806/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1305492440&sr=1-3

7)      I wanted to be an archeologist and almost majored in it. My grandfather’s good friend is a prominent archeologist and I always wanted to go on a dig. It still remains an activity to do. But I love everything ancient history.

Now please visit the award recipient blogs’ and don’t forget to subscribe to them and spread the word in support. I love being a part of the writer and reader community – it’s one of my dreams come true and I thank you all for that!